The Broken Element Warrior

Astrid's refusal

Astrid awakes lying on a soft feather bed, with the coolness of the silk sheets caressing her skin and the warmth of the velvet comforter helping to keep the cold crisp mountain air from freezing her to death.

Confused and still extremely drowsy from the days past and the harsh abusive treatment of Marcus, Astrid slowly starts to take in her surroundings. The large fireplace held and contained a very large and very warm fire. She was no longer wearing the cloak or the see-through shear rags she had on previously. In fact, she was completely naked. Panic started to arise deep within her at this realization, yet the only thing she was able to do was fall back asleep.

Astrid is later awakened by an elderly lady, Ester. "Princess Astrid," Ester says with a soft, gentle voice while softly rubbing Astrid's head. Startled at first, Astrid flinches away from Ester. "OH! I am so sorry sorry ma'am. You Startled me. I am very sorry that I overslept," Astrid says nervously. "It is quite alright, princess. There's no need to be nervous. I am Ester, Lord Marcus has charged me with tending to you and your needs, miss," Ester says with a warming smile. " I have prepared you a nice warm bath, my lady. I have also brought you some clean and appropriate garments to wear. I was not certain what you would like, so I brought a few different outfits for you to choose from, my lady. I have also brought a comb so that I can tend to your hair if you would like me to do so," says Ester as she softly brushes the hair away from Astrid's eyes.

"My sweet child, who has done this to you, my lady?" Ester asked, noticing the bruised cheek, black eye, and busted lip still visible on Astrid's face. "It is nothing, Mrs. Ester, pay no mind to that," Astrid says, placing her hand gently on Ester's. "Yes, my lady," Ester replies. Ester gasps and tears well up in her eyes seeing Astrid's badly bruised frail body when she pulls the covers back and steps from the bed so that she may enjoy a much needed bath. "My lady. Princess Astrid, who has hurt you so badly?" Ester asks, reaching her old frail hand out to one of the darkened bruises that painted a spot of Astrid's pale skin of her back. Astrid winces at the pain even the softest feather touch caused. "I am fine. I promise you, Mrs. Ester. I will be okay," Astrid replies in her gentle voice as she wipes the tears from Ester's cheeks and eyes.

Astrid climbs into the tub of warm, inviting water. it feels soothing against her battered skin as she submerges herself under the water. Ester is soon at the side of the tub with soap and a wash cloth. "My lady, allow me to help wash your back. I promise to be extremely gentle so that I will not cause you much pain," Ester insists. Astrid simply nods in acceptance.

Ester begins to slowly run the cloth over Astrid's back, and Astrid winces in pain a few times. "I am truly sorry, princess. I am trying to be as gentle as possible. That way, I do not hurt you," says Ester. " You are fine, Mrs. Ester. It did not hurt much. Besides, you are causing me way less pain than the person responsible for these bruises," Astrid says tearfully.

"Princess, did Lord Marcus do this to you?" Ester asked in a hushed tone. Astrid begins to sob, replying, "Yes. He's a monster, Mrs. Ester. He takes great pleasure in the abuse and torment that he puts me through. He even threatened to race me if I continued to refuse to marry him and give myself to him. I would rather die than be his wife or whore." "You must be strong, my lady. You only need to be strong a short while longer, I promise. Your mother has sent people to rescue you, so I suspect you will be out of this place before you know it. Marcus will not be forcing himself on you while you are under my care, so you can remove such worries from your head. Now child lay back so that I may wash your hair before the water goes completely cold," Ester says with kindness.

Astrid does as instructed without any further words or arguments. Ester washes Astrid's hair thoroughly and rinses it. As soon as she has finished rinsing the princesses hair, she rises quickly, grabbing a towel to cover Astrids' wet naked body instructing Astrid to hurry before the fireplace so that the fires flames shall keep her warm. Once again, Astrid does as instructed without hesitation or argument.

Ester grabs the beautiful garments that she had brought earlier for Princess Astrid and draps them over her forearm in order to present them to Astrid so that she may choose one. Ester stands before the princess holding up the garments one by one, allowing Astrid a full view of each one before Astrid finally chooses an Emerald Green gown with length flowing down to the floor, the gowns collar just barely below the nape of her neckline, and the sleeves long enough to cover her wrist with lace flowing from the ends like extra wings.

Once Astrid had dressed Ester motions for her to sit in a chair, then she began to comb her hair. The finished result after Ester was done combing Astrid's hair was a single braid trailing down her back. "You look absolutely beautiful, my lady," Ester says cheerfully. "I thank you, Mrs. Ester, for all of your help and kindness. You tell me to remain strong that my mother has sent people to rescue me, yet I feel that I should inform you they failed and now are all dead, so no one is coming," Astrid says tearfully.

"No, my lady, not all have failed. There is still one, and his elite team is coming for you, and they have never failed," replies Ester in a whisper. "You mean the warriors? My mother has sent Alistair and his men for me," Astrid asks in a cheerful yelp. "Quiet child, we do not want to alert Lord Marcus, and remember the walls have ears," says Ester while placing a finger up to her lips with one hand and pointing at the walls with the other. Astrid nods in agreement and understanding, and then the two of them speak no more of the matter.

"Now my lady allow me to escort you to the dining room where Lord Marcus has requested your presence," says Ester as she walks towards the bedroom door. "I am a bit famished," Astrid's stomach growls with hunger hearing these words dining room. "Shall we, my lady."Lead the way, Mrs. Ester," Astrid says politely.

The two talk as they make their way down the hallways and corridors to the dining room. When both ladies arrive, the two of them enter through the doors where, too, Astrid's amazement there was ravishing music and a mass array of different foods to pick and choose from let alone eat that had been prepared. Lord Marcus immediately stands as Astrid enters the room, pulling out a chair sitting right next to him, which Astrid graciously accepts and sits down. Marcus pushes in Astrid's chair and then returns to his own seat. Marcus claps his hands, and servants appear with the many different foods prepared, ready to serve Marcus and Astrid any of their choosing.

"Thank you very much," Astrid says to one of the servants. "We do not thank servants around here for doing their job. You will do well to remember that girl," a lady says in a cruel, harsh, demeaning tone. She was an elderly lady with salt and pepper hair shoulder length, who Marcus resembled. "Who is this person? How dare she refer to me as girl. I am a princess," Astrid thought. Seeing the look on Astrid's face, knowing she was thinking about something, the strange woman interrupts her thoughts. "Speak your mind girl if you dare. It is very rude to be thinking things, but not saying them while giving such a menacing stare girl. Were you not taught manners by your mother girl, or shall we teach them to you?"

"OH, I was taught manners very much, so that is why I said thank you to a mere servant in respect. Now allow me to teach you some, I am Princess Astrid, not your girl. You will address me as such, and you are never to refer to me as girl again. Is that understood, or is that too complex for a Savage barbarian such as yourself to comprehend," Astrid snaps back with a strong resentment and arrogant tone. The retched old lady laughs, and with a wave of her hand, she comments, " Marcus, my dear, train your beastly wife and show her where her place is, son."

Right then, a back hand landed across Astrid's entire face, sending her chair backward to the floor with her in it. The force of the blow to Astrid's face causes her to black-out for a few minutes, and when she comes to her senses, she finds herself back in a cage and chained once again. "This is precisely where little beast belongs. Chained and caged like the wild animals, they are," the old woman coes with a devious smile. Marcus approaches Astrid's cage. "You should not have spoken to my mother in the manner you did." No girl, you should not have," Marcus's mother snickers.

"I will let you out of this cage and remove your chains, little bird, " Marcus starts to say. "Just as soon as you agree to marry my son, and he puts a child in your belly. It is either that, or you shall rot in this cage, and you will enjoy the visit of every guard or any other that pays well to enjoy your company, and have the pleasure of using you and your body however they deem fit like a w***e. Do you understand me, girl?" his mother says evilly. "Do as you wish to me you psycho b***h, because my answer remains, NO! I would rather be the guards w***e than your sons wife. DOVYOU UNDERSTAND ME b***h," replies Astrid as she spits in both of their faces. "So be it girl," his mother replies.